Trump said: “At some point, I’m going to sit down, perhaps as a fireside chat on live television, and I will read the transcript of the call, because people have to hear it. When you read it, it’s a straight call.”
Trump also floated the idea of making T-shirts with the message “Read the transcript” as part of the White House strategy to defend him in the impeachment inquiry – which is likely to proceed in the next few months to a congressional trial in the Senate. He reiterated that the White House will not cooperate with the investigation, in terms of acceding to demands for documents and witnesses from the Democratic-dominated House or obeying subpoenas.